Duel Match Stats/Reports - Becker vs Lendl, US Open & Australian Open finals, 1989 & 1991

[Waspsting]

Boris Becker beat Ivan Lendl 7-6(2), 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) in the US Open final, 1989 on hard court

It would turn out to be Becker's sole title and final at the event. Lendl was playing what would turn out to be the last of his 8 consecutive finals at the event. Becker had recently won Wimbledon (beating Lendl in the semis in 5 sets), while Lendl had won Australian Open at start of the year. Lendl would go onto finish the year ranked 1, Becker 2

Becker won 134 points, Lendl 134

Becker serve-volleyed off all but 4 first serves and about half the time off second serve

Serve Stats
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (79/143) 55%
- 1st serve points won (61/79) 77%
- 2nd serve points won (25/64) 39%
- Aces 11 (1 not clean), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 11
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (51/143) 36%

Lendl...
- 1st serve percentage (78/125) 62%
- 1st serve points won (49/78) 63%
- 2nd serve points won (28/47) 60%
- Aces 5 (1 second serve, 1 not clean)
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (25/125) 20%

Serve Patterns
Becker served...
- to FH 18%
- to BH 67%
- to Body 15%

Lendl served...
- to FH 32%
- to BH 63%
- to Body 6%

Return Stats
Becker made...
- 95 (30 FH, 65 BH), including 4 runaround FHs & 13 return-approaches
- 2 Winners (2 FH), including 1 runaround FH
- 20 Errors, comprising...
- 9 Unforced (4 FH, 5 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 11 Forced (6 FH, 5 BH)
- Return Rate (95/120) 79%

Lendl made...
- 81 (16 FH, 65 BH)
- 5 Winners (2 FH, 3 BH)
- 39 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (1 FH, 4 BH)
- 34 Forced (6 FH, 28 BH)
- Return Rate (81/132) 61%

Break Points
Becker 5/12 (7 games)
Lendl 6/11 (9 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Becker 22 (4 FH, 2 BH, 4 FHV, 11 BHV, 1 OH)
Lendl 36 (18 FH, 10 BH, 4 FHV, 2 BHV, 2 OH)

Becker had 13 from serve-volley points
- 9 first 'volleys' (2 FHV, 6 BHV, 1 FH at net)
- 4 second volleys (2 FHV, 2 BHV)

- 3 from return-approach points (2 BHV, 1 OH)

- FHs - 1 cc return and 2 inside-out (1 runaround return)
- BHs - 1 dtl and 1 inside-out/longline played net-to-net

Lendl had 25 passes (15 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV)
- FHs - 6 cc (2 returns), 4 dtl, 1 inside-out/dtl, 2 inside-in (1 possibly not clean) and 2 longline (1 at net)
- BHs - 3 cc (1 return), 5 dtl (1 return) and 1 inside-out return
- the FHV was a swinging, non-net shot

- regular FHs - 1 dtl, 1 inside-out and 1 inside-in
- regular BHs - 1 cc

- 1 from a serve-volley point, a first volley FHV

- 1 OH was played net-to-net

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Becker 62
- 45 Unforced (13 FH, 20 BH, 4 FHV, 6 BHV, 2 OH)
- 17 Forced (5 FH, 5 BH, 3 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV, 2 OH)... with 1 FH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.4

Lendl 56
- 28 Unforced (14 FH, 11 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)... the FHV was a a swinging shot
- 28 Forced (10 FH, 18 BH)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.1

(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)

(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Becker was...
- 77/125 (62%) at net, including...
- 57/89 (64%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 46/63 (73%) off 1st serve and...
- 11/26 (42%) off 2nd serve
---
- 6/13 (46%) return-approaching
- 0/2 forced back/retreated

Lendl was...
- 18/23 (78%) at net, including...
- 4/6 (67%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
---
- 1/1 forced back

Match Report
A very interesting and surprisingly strategic match (Becker-Lendl matches tend not to be subtle), the assessment of which is open to interpretation. On face of it, it looks like a standard, point-here-point-there and who-plays-the-big-points-better match with nothing in it between the two players. To my eye, Becker is fairly comfortably the better player (as in, significantly more likely to win) and certainly more so than stats might suggest. Court is about normal for a hard surface, match is a day-night one and weather is hot and muggy

Points won - both 134
Point served - Becker 143, Lendl 125
Break points - Becker 5/12 (7 games), Lendl 6/11 (9 games)

These figures clearly favour Lendl

Basic stats read -
- first serve in - Becker 55%, Lendl 62%
- first serve points won - Becker 77%, Lendl 63%
- second serve points won - Becker 39%, Lendl 60%

These are less clear but I would favour Lendl's to be more likely to be match winning ones

So how exactly is Becker the 'fairly comfortably better player'? His ability to threaten in return games is in his hands. Lendl's isn't. There's a healthy amount of Boris tanking return games or at very least, playing with casual carelessness in Lendl holding easily. Whenever he really needs, Boris either breaks or threatens to.

Lendl isn't quite so comfortable as returner. There is scope for him to be. For about half the match, Becker's serve is not overwhelming (though obviously good) and its not difficult to imagine someone breaking him - or threatening to - regularly. Lendl isn't quite good enough to this day

'Playing-big-points-well' comes into it and its more Lendl playing them poorly than Boris doing so well. Does Lendl choke? He plays some very poor service games to get broken and also makes simple and uncharacteristic errors in the tiebreaks. I wouldn't call it choking... its pretty clear that when he wants to, Becker can hold even starting from the baseline

Its even possible Becker bluffs and cons Lendl into a false sense of security by not fully focusing in many return games. Lendl gets comfortable playing and winning from the baseline and barely comes to net. At crunch time though, Boris shaves the careless errors and holds even from baseline, while also coming to net... its a whole different ball game then and its touch and go whether Lendl can hold. Lendl also plays particularly badly not infrequently at such times more on that later)

Becker serve vs Lendl return & Serve-Volleying - 2 halves
Becker serve-volleys 94% off the time off first serves and 49% off seconds - the latter figure going up as match goes on

For first half of the match, he goes all in with the first serve, a shot designed to end the point at a stroke. During that part, Lendl tries to just poke the return in play anyway he can.... essentially, points are all about the serve shot alone. Its the kind of play where a player would look for one break somehow - probably in a game with a double fault or 2 and a low first serve in count - while holding serve himself, to take the set

From early in third set, after taking treatment on his thigh, Becker eases off a bit on the first serve. Its still a big serve, but not overwhelming. Lendl is able to return reasonably, though its till challenging. Points shift to normal, serve-volleying vs return-passer dynamics. Its kind of play where it wouldn't be shocking (though not likely) if the return-passer regularly broke or threatened to

As such, action in first half is fairly basic. Lendl can barely return and whatever he can is easy to deal with on first serve points. Becker missing first serves is what opens up Lendl's prospects
In second half, action has room for more strategy

Becker's serve tend to be a bit wide, almost always to BH and bouncing up to lower rib height. An awkward ball to take a big cut at and Lendl leads with guided, push-slices. He is very predictable in his directions - almost always returning cc from ad court and down the middle or just slightly inside-in from deuce. Scarcely a dtl or inside-out BH return to be seen. In general, lack of a BH inside-out return is one of Lendl's biggest problems against serve-volleyers. Lendl looks to go wide rather than get ball in low, leaving not difficult, net high BHVs

Majority of volleys Becker gets are BHVs. Point finishing numbers read -
- Winners - BHV 11, FHV 4
- UEs - BHV 6, FHV 4
- FEs - BHV 1, FHV 4 (counting a FH1/2V as a FHV)

In general, Becker's FHV is more vulnerable than the BHV and that's true in this match too as the UE count indicates, given how frequently he has to make BHV. I don't think Lendl's testing Becker's BHV so much as returning basically and simply

Nor is it a bad move. Boris isn't convincing looking at net. A bit slow to get up front (particularly in second half of match) or move sideways, he makes Lendl's returning look better than it is, just reaching the volley or lunging to make it somehow. In fact, they'd be regulation volleys with better movement, they're pushed (not hit) and aren't overly powerful and predictably placed. Boris looks shakey enough on the volley that testing him on it seems worth a go. A better volleying could dispatch the returns Lendl makes like clockwork

 

[Waspsting]

Lendl serve vs Becker return
Conservative from Lendl and sure returning from Becker

In general, Lendl tends to gun down big, point ending first serves against players who don't attack his second serves, and regularly has about 50% first serves in
When serving conservatively, about 60% in is common. Here he has 62% in line with that. Not too much difference between his 2 serves

Boris does attacks second serves with return-approaches, which he does 16 times and occasionally, takes a huge cut at them (including with runaround FH). Lendl still wins very healthy 60% second serve points but within context of playing dynamics, this is good from Becker's point of view

- he's getting very high lot of returns back
- rallies are neutral - and when keyed in, he seems to be able to win his half of such points
- thus, a few attacking return plays - even if he's winning less than 50% so doing - is likely to get him the breaks he needs

Play - Baseline
Virtually all Lendl service points - and about half of Becker's 2nd serve points, start from baseline

Lendl leads play and looks to draw errors from Becker's BH and he's quite passive in how he does it. He plays from well behind baseline and as often as not, plays bending-down little chips. Initially, he moves around occasionally to hit FH inside-out - not overly hard, but harder than the BH cc's. He's at his most offensive looking to finish FH inside-in. In nutshell, he plays for Becker BH UEs

Becker has 20 BH UEs to Lendl's 11 - so you could it works. Probably not as much as those numbers would suggest

A significant number of Becker's BH UEs come when he's at least semi-tanking return games. A few of Lendl's comes at worst possible times, including 1st set tiebreak and a terrible game where he's broken to love. When Becker steps up to play with focus, BH rallies are near even. No significant difference in the hitting. Becker drives more while Lendl chips regularly. Becker's willing to go for dtl attacking shots more (usually without success), Lendl very rarely does. Becker's able to manufacture approaches, Lendl rarely looks to. And in key games, its Becker who takes to moving around and hitting FH inside-out (his is more powerful than Lendl's) and FH inside-in (Lendl's is stronger)

FH play is he minority and more varied, with both players changing direction and hitting harder. Becker's more apt to create such rallies while Lendl looks to keep things BH-BH as much as possible. Lendl successfully keeps balls deep off the FH

Play - Volley & Pass
Rallying to net, Becker is 14/23 or 61%, Lendl 14/17 or 82%

No significant difference in baseline hitting, so both have about same chances to come in. Both have to manufacture approaches and rarely is approach shot overwhelming. Shouldn't Lendl be coming in more?

The approach figure for Lendl if anything is deceptively large. For most of match, he doesn't come in at all. From game 10 in first set to game 3 in the fourth, he comes in voluntarily once (+ a couple forced approaches)... a span covering 124 points

So from Lendl's point of view
- his serve isn't getting him cheap points
- he's outlasting Boris from baseline, but rubber hits the road, Boris can hang in near 50-50 in all ways
- and he's not coming to net, even though when he does, he's very successful (he wins 78% net points to Boris' 62%) despite

With Becker being careless, Lendl holds easily much of the time. When important game comes around, Boris shaves his baseline UEs, looks to turn play to FH and manufacture approaches. And holding for Lendl becomes a challenge. It really does look like Boris bluffs Lendl into a false sense of security and is quietly in control of the match in this way

Lendl - though more consistent than Boris - is no wall, and that's what he'd need to be to hold with confidence while staying back chipping BHs so much

On flip side, for Lendl to break, he needs to hit excellent passing shots. Which he manages often enough to break occasionally. Small number of amazing, running passing winners from Lendl. Boris volleying to regulation net high ball is unconvincing enough that Lendl doesn't have to go for too much on the pass and by his standards, he doesn't. Boris seemingly just manages to make the volley that's a bit wide or a bit more powerful than average. Its unlikely this is a deliberate bluff too

Note also Boris with 12 forecourt UEs to go with his 16 winners, which isn't a good ratio... not too convincing from Boris on the volley, though he's well in the positives, with bulk of Lendl's 28 FEs being passing attempts

Match Progression
Lendl has better off first set and serves 40 points in it, to Becker's 52. Becker's humongous first serve, behind which he serve-volleys virtually always, sees him hold. Baseline action on Lendl's service games are slowish with Lendl playing to Becker's BH with a combination of regular drives and little chips/slices. Occasionally, he moves around to hit FH inside-out instead to the same side and looks to finish with FH inside-ins to the other side

Becker holds a tough 14 point opener, saving a break point and then breaks in a 10 point game, with Lendl making 2 double faults (including down break point). Lendl breaks back in middle of the set to 30 in a game Becker misses a couple of FHVs and FH inside-in winner attempt. Becker endures another tough service game next time, saving 2 break points to hold

Becker's always in control of the tiebreak after going up 2 mini-breaks to open 3-0. Lendl loses his first service point going for an aggressive BH dtl - he'd hardly played the shot at all, and that wouldn't change for rest of match - and Becker wins the next one with a nice, delayed return-approach leading to a BHV winner

From 1-1 in second set, Lendl reels off 5 games in a row. The first break ends sensationally. At 15-30, the serve-volleying Becker has to make 2 tough volleys, Lendl makes an excellent running-down-drop-volley shot, Becker lobs that, the forced back Lendl makes an over-the-shoulder shot to keep himself in point before finishing with a FH cc pass winner. Point after seems mundane - just a perfect, running BH dtl pass winner out of the corner

Lendl breaks again with a couple of FH pass winners and Boris tanks last game of the set to level match

Becker moves to 3-0 in the third in a poor game by Lendl, where he's down 0-40 on back of double fault, a regulation FH miss and a third ball FH winner attempt. After going holding for 3-0, Becker calls for the trainer who sprays his upper thigh area. Thereafter, he doesn't serve as hard, is more prone to taking it easy on return games in particular, serve-volleys more often off second serves and his movement to and around net suffers slightly

Lendl grabs the break back - half through Boris UEs, half through his own strong passes, but is broken to love right after in a terrible game (double fault and 2 FH UEs). Becker has to save a break point in serving out the set

2 trade breaks early in the fourth - Lendl breaking with 3 winners in a row to 15 and giving it right back in another poor game. Lendl makes his first approach in 83 points (88 for voluntary approaches) in the game after. Thereafter, he comes in occasionally to give his game the teeth it had been missing for most of match

Becker has better of the set, chip-charging regularly and playing with proper concentration from the baseline. He breaks on back of net play to go up 3-2. Lendl breaks back to even at 4-4 with some excellent passes. Lendl narrowly holds on to serve at 5-5 and set goes into another tiebreak

Becker misses an easy FHV to go down 0-2 and a mini-break. The difference in tiebreak are poor Lendl errors - a double fault and 2 FH UEs on his service points - and Becker wraps up with 2 big serves to end the match.

Summing up, a very strategic match with good but short of great play. Becker serve-volleys most of the time. For half of match, Becker's first serve is overwhelmingly strong. For the other half, its returnable and Lendl returns a bit too softly and predictably to make inroads, while Becker seems to just about be able to handle the not-difficult volleys he's faced with. Some great passing from Lendl, some not great movements at net from Becker gives Lendl decent counter-play

On flip side, Lendl serves conservatively and Becker returns comfortably all match. Lendl stays back and looks to chip errors out of Becker's BH. Most of the time, Becker doesn't seem to be fully focused and gives up BH errors but at crunch time, always steps up his BH consistency, hitting, moving around to hit FHs, return-approaching and coming to net to threaten to break

Little in the final result, but Becker seems to have match under control with his match-long percentage play

Stats for Becker's second round match with Derrick Rostagno - (7) Match Stats/Report - Becker vs Rostagno, US Open second round, 1989 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)
Stats for pair's Wimbledon semi - (7) Match Stats/Report - Becker vs Lendl, Wimbledon semi-final, 1989 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)
Stats for pair's '92 fourth round match - (7) Match Stats/Report - Lendl vs Becker, US Open fourth round, 1992 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)
Stats for '88 final between Lendl and Mats Wilander - (7) Match Stats/Report - Wilander vs Lendl, US Open final, 1988 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)

 

[Drob]

Boris Becker beat Ivan Lendl 7-6(2), 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) in the US Open final, 1989 on hard court

It would turn out to be Becker's sole title and final at the event. Lendl was playing what would turn out to be the last of his 8 consecutive finals at the event. Becker had recently won Wimbledon (beating Lendl in the semis in 5 sets), while Lendl had won Australian Open at start of the year. Lendl would go onto finish the year ranked 1, Becker 2

Becker won 134 points, Lendl 134

Becker serve-volleyed off all but 4 first serves and about half the time off second serve

Serve Stats
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (79/143) 55%
- 1st serve points won (61/79) 77%
- 2nd serve points won (25/64) 39%
- Aces 11 (1 not clean), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 11
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (51/143) 36%

Lendl...
- 1st serve percentage (78/125) 62%
- 1st serve points won (49/78) 63%
- 2nd serve points won (28/47) 60%
- Aces 5 (1 second serve, 1 not clean)
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (25/125) 20%

Serve Patterns
Becker served...
- to FH 18%
- to BH 67%
- to Body 15%

Lendl served...
- to FH 32%
- to BH 63%
- to Body 6%

Return Stats
Becker made...
- 95 (30 FH, 65 BH), including 4 runaround FHs & 13 return-approaches
- 2 Winners (2 FH), including 1 runaround FH
- 20 Errors, comprising...
- 9 Unforced (4 FH, 5 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 11 Forced (6 FH, 5 BH)
- Return Rate (95/120) 79%

Lendl made...
- 81 (16 FH, 65 BH)
- 5 Winners (2 FH, 3 BH)
- 39 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (1 FH, 4 BH)
- 34 Forced (6 FH, 28 BH)
- Return Rate (81/132) 61%

Break Points
Becker 5/12 (7 games)
Lendl 6/11 (9 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Becker 22 (4 FH, 2 BH, 4 FHV, 11 BHV, 1 OH)
Lendl 36 (18 FH, 10 BH, 4 FHV, 2 BHV, 2 OH)

Becker had 13 from serve-volley points
- 9 first 'volleys' (2 FHV, 6 BHV, 1 FH at net)
- 4 second volleys (2 FHV, 2 BHV)

- 3 from return-approach points (2 BHV, 1 OH)

- FHs - 1 cc return and 2 inside-out (1 runaround return)
- BHs - 1 dtl and 1 inside-out/longline played net-to-net

Lendl had 25 passes (15 FH, 9 BH, 1 FHV)
- FHs - 6 cc (2 returns), 4 dtl, 1 inside-out/dtl, 2 inside-in (1 possibly not clean) and 2 longline (1 at net)
- BHs - 3 cc (1 return), 5 dtl (1 return) and 1 inside-out return
- the FHV was a swinging, non-net shot

- regular FHs - 1 dtl, 1 inside-out and 1 inside-in
- regular BHs - 1 cc

- 1 from a serve-volley point, a first volley FHV

- 1 OH was played net-to-net

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Becker 62
- 45 Unforced (13 FH, 20 BH, 4 FHV, 6 BHV, 2 OH)
- 17 Forced (5 FH, 5 BH, 3 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV, 2 OH)... with 1 FH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.4

Lendl 56
- 28 Unforced (14 FH, 11 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)... the FHV was a a swinging shot
- 28 Forced (10 FH, 18 BH)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.1

(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)

(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Becker was...
- 77/125 (62%) at net, including...
- 57/89 (64%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 46/63 (73%) off 1st serve and...
- 11/26 (42%) off 2nd serve
---
- 6/13 (46%) return-approaching
- 0/2 forced back/retreated

Lendl was...
- 18/23 (78%) at net, including...
- 4/6 (67%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
---
- 1/1 forced back

Match Report
A very interesting and surprisingly strategic match (Becker-Lendl matches tend not to be subtle), the assessment of which is open to interpretation. On face of it, it looks like a standard, point-here-point-there and who-plays-the-big-points-better match with nothing in it between the two players. To my eye, Becker is fairly comfortably the better player (as in, significantly more likely to win) and certainly more so than stats might suggest. Court is about normal for a hard surface, match is a day-night one and weather is hot and muggy

Points won - both 134
Point served - Becker 143, Lendl 125
Break points - Becker 5/12 (7 games), Lendl 6/11 (9 games)

These figures clearly favour Lendl

Basic stats read -
- first serve in - Becker 55%, Lendl 62%
- first serve points won - Becker 77%, Lendl 63%
- second serve points won - Becker 39%, Lendl 60%

These are less clear but I would favour Lendl's to be more likely to be match winning ones

So how exactly is Becker the 'fairly comfortably better player'? His ability to threaten in return games is in his hands. Lendl's isn't. There's a healthy amount of Boris tanking return games or at very least, playing with casual carelessness in Lendl holding easily. Whenever he really needs, Boris either breaks or threatens to.

Lendl isn't quite so comfortable as returner. There is scope for him to be. For about half the match, Becker's serve is not overwhelming (though obviously good) and its not difficult to imagine someone breaking him - or threatening to - regularly. Lendl isn't quite good enough to this day

'Playing-big-points-well' comes into it and its more Lendl playing them poorly than Boris doing so well. Does Lendl choke? He plays some very poor service games to get broken and also makes simple and uncharacteristic errors in the tiebreaks. I wouldn't call it choking... its pretty clear that when he wants to, Becker can hold even starting from the baseline

Its even possible Becker bluffs and cons Lendl into a false sense of security by not fully focusing in many return games. Lendl gets comfortable playing and winning from the baseline and barely comes to net. At crunch time though, Boris shaves the careless errors and holds even from baseline, while also coming to net... its a whole different ball game then and its touch and go whether Lendl can hold. Lendl also plays particularly badly not infrequently at such times more on that later)

Becker serve vs Lendl return & Serve-Volleying - 2 halves
Becker serve-volleys 94% off the time off first serves and 49% off seconds - the latter figure going up as match goes on

For first half of the match, he goes all in with the first serve, a shot designed to end the point at a stroke. During that part, Lendl tries to just poke the return in play anyway he can.... essentially, points are all about the serve shot alone. Its the kind of play where a player would look for one break somehow - probably in a game with a double fault or 2 and a low first serve in count - while holding serve himself, to take the set

From early in third set, after taking treatment on his thigh, Becker eases off a bit on the first serve. Its still a big serve, but not overwhelming. Lendl is able to return reasonably, though its till challenging. Points shift to normal, serve-volleying vs return-passer dynamics. Its kind of play where it wouldn't be shocking (though not likely) if the return-passer regularly broke or threatened to

As such, action in first half is fairly basic. Lendl can barely return and whatever he can is easy to deal with on first serve points. Becker missing first serves is what opens up Lendl's prospects
In second half, action has room for more strategy

Becker's serve tend to be a bit wide, almost always to BH and bouncing up to lower rib height. An awkward ball to take a big cut at and Lendl leads with guided, push-slices. He is very predictable in his directions - almost always returning cc from ad court and down the middle or just slightly inside-in from deuce. Scarcely a dtl or inside-out BH return to be seen. In general, lack of a BH inside-out return is one of Lendl's biggest problems against serve-volleyers. Lendl looks to go wide rather than get ball in low, leaving not difficult, net high BHVs

Majority of volleys Becker gets are BHVs. Point finishing numbers read -
- Winners - BHV 11, FHV 4
- UEs - BHV 6, FHV 4
- FEs - BHV 1, FHV 4 (counting a FH1/2V as a FHV)

In general, Becker's FHV is more vulnerable than the BHV and that's true in this match too as the UE count indicates, given how frequently he has to make BHV. I don't think Lendl's testing Becker's BHV so much as returning basically and simply

Nor is it a bad move. Boris isn't convincing looking at net. A bit slow to get up front (particularly in second half of match) or move sideways, he makes Lendl's returning look better than it is, just reaching the volley or lunging to make it somehow. In fact, they'd be regulation volleys with better movement, they're pushed (not hit) and aren't overly powerful and predictably placed. Boris looks shakey enough on the volley that testing him on it seems worth a go. A better volleying could dispatch the returns Lendl makes like clockwork

One of the best of your best match stats/descriptions.

How did Lendl lose?

Or, how was it not closer - albeit it was precious close anyway?

Were you not named best tennis analyst by vote of peers? This account is tops

I need to try to watch this match again after so many years.

Maybe not absolute first-tier in historical important, but a.d.c. - awfully dam_ close.

 

[Drob]

(Becker-Lendl matches tend not to be subtle)

Amen.

 

[Waspsting]

One of the best of your best match stats/descriptions.

How did Lendl lose?

Or, how was it not closer - albeit it was precious close anyway?

Thanks, Drob. How've you been?

Double noogies for Lendl. The previous year, he had the better of Mats Wilander, but messing up in forecourt cost him the match
Here, he errs on the side of staying back. And that probably costs him the match - or at least, gives Becker the oppurtunity to snatch it

Same thing with the 2 Edberg 5 setters at the hard court Slams in 1992

He's not enough of a wall to be able to count on winning from the back... but doesn't seem to want to come in much. Even if he's volleying solidly and winning the bulk up there

The thought of Boris fooling around, playing carelessly, more or less letting Lendl hold easily from the back... and then cometh the choice game, pulling up his socks and hanging in hard from the back, return-approaching, manufacturing approaches etc. amuses me

Boris did things like that quite often, even against serve-volleyers

 

[Waspsting]

Becker beat Lendl 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the Australian Open final, 1991 on hard court

It was Becker's first Australian Open title and would turn out to be Lendl's last Slam final. Lendl had been the double defending champion

Becker won 117 points, Lendl 120

Becker serve-volleyed about a third off the time off first serve and rarely off seconds

Serve Stats
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (83/122) 68%
- 1st serve points won (57/83) 69%
- 2nd serve points won (19/39) 49%
- Aces 9
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (39/122) 32%

Lendl...
- 1st serve percentage (63/115) 55%
- 1st serve points won (47/63) 75%
- 2nd serve points won (27/52) 52%
- Aces 9
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (34/115) 30%

Serve Patterns
Becker served...
- to FH 20%
- to BH 48%
- to Body 31%

Lendl served...
- to FH 35%
- to BH 54%
- to Body 12%

Return Stats
Becker made...
- 78 (25 FH, 53 BH), including 3 runaround FHs & 11 return-approaches
- 4 Winners (2 FH, 2 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 25 Errors, comprising...
- 8 Unforced (2 FH, 6 BH)
- 17 Forced (13 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (78/112) 70%

Lendl made...
- 79 (19 FH, 60 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 1 return-approach
- 5 Winners (5 BH)
- 30 Errors, comprising...
- 8 Unforced (4 FH, 4 BH)
- 22 Forced (7 FH, 15 BH)
- Return Rate (79/118) 67%

Break Points
Becker 4/8 (5 games)
Lendl 3/12 (7 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Becker 28 (7 FH, 10 BH, 5 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 OH)
Lendl 35 (12 FH, 18 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)

Becker's FHs - 2 cc (1 return), 3 dtl (1 runaround return, 1 pass) and 2 inside-out
- BHs - 1 cc pass5 dtl (1 return, 1 pass), 1 inside-in return, 1 longline slice (effectively a drop shot) and 1 net chord dribbler

- 3 from serve-volley points -
- 2 first 'volleys' (1 FHV, 1 BH at net)
- 1 second volley (1 FHV)

2 from return-approach points (1 BHV, 1 OH)

Lendl's regular FHs - 1 cc, 3 dtl, 2 dtl/inside-out (1 at net), 1 inside-out and 2 inside-in
- FH passes - 1 dtl and 2 inside-out
- regular BHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl and 2 inside-out (1 return)
- BH passes - 4 cc (2 returns), 7 dtl (1 net chord flicker) and 2 inside-out returns

- 1 from a return-approach point, a BHV

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Becker 47
- 35 Unforced (15 FH, 17 BH, 3 BHV)
- 12 Forced (2 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 4 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 49.7

Lendl 47
- 30 Unforced (16 FH, 13 BH, 1 OH)... the OH was a baseline shot on the bounce
- 17 Forced (6 FH, 10 BH, 1 FHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 45.7

(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)

(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Becker was...
- 32/60 (53%) at net, including...
- 17/30 (57%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 17/25 (68%) off 1st serve and...
- 0/5 off 2nd serve
---
- 6/11 (55%) return-approaching

Lendl was...
- 10/15 (67%) at net, with...
- 1/1 return-approaching

Match Report
Excellent, hard hitting baseline match on a slow hard court, with honours about even, but for remarkable clutch play for Becker. He breaks to end all the sets he wins - and every time, its down to particularly great play from him

Its not just on return that Boris is clutch. When in trouble on serve, he plays some of his best court tennis - outplaying Lendl in rallies, not banging down huge serves - to hold. Not only doesn't Lendl do much wrong, he plays particularly well

Other than first set - which Lendl waltz' through, more through his good play than Boris' bad though there's some of that too - play is about even. There's not too much net play let alone serve-volleying. Lendl passes superbly all match, keeping Boris down to a tick over 50% net points won (32/60, to be exact) and rarely comes in himself. He's highly successful when he does

Only when it counts most, Becker makes difficult volleys and very difficult passes. Lendl loses just 5 points at net - 4 are on important points (3 passing winners, 1 forced volleying error) and the other is a forced approach to a drop shot

Most of play is toe-to-toe baseline slugging. Not much subtlety here. Lendl belts balls off wings. No slices or little chip BHs this day. Boris does the same for first half of match but brings out the slice more often in second half (still hitting hard most of the time) and is better for it

Unlike US Open match, very little Boris playing at less than full intensity. Maybe 1 or 2 return games in total. Lendl is typically machine like

The runaway first set biases match long stats Lendl's way. He wins 120 points to Boris' 117, despite serving 7 fewer and has 12 break points in 7 games to Boris' 8 in 5. Sans first set, break point figures read

- Becker 4/5 (4 games), Lendl 1/9 (5 games)

Lendl leads points won off both first serves (75% to 69%) and second (52% to 49%), counter-balanced by Boris having much higher in count (68% to 55%)

Sans the first set, results are still close. Its those perfectly timed lifts in Boris game that sees him over

Serve, Return & Serve-Volleying
Becker serve-volleys just 34% off the time off first serves and 14% off second. Its not even a surprise weapon. He serve-volleys in bundles by games... doing so always or almost always for choice selected games

Lendl returns superbly against it and Boris wins just 17/30 serve-volley points, including 0/5 off second serves. Clean ball striking is a feature of Lendl's play throughout match, including on the return. The off and on serve-volleying probably does lead to a few return errors from Lendl, who can't be sure Boris won't be at net to dispatch any easy returns. He has 5 return winners - 1 of them with Boris on baseline, though it was probably played assuming a serve-volley.

Becker just shading unreturned rates 32% to 30% is probably due to Lendl missing a few first serve returns being wary of a serve-volley. Against Boris staying back, Lendl hammers returns without much trouble, other than the body serves

Lendl has the bigger serve and biffs down big firsts all match. Both players have 9 aces. Lendl sends 1 down every 7 first serves, Boris 10.8. Its a slow enough court that good returning - as both do - can be effective even against great serving. Some pretty hefty second serving from both players too

Boris has done his homework. Note the very high 31% of serves to the body. Lendl in general doesn't handle body serves well and this match is no exception. Boris for his part has days when he's serving big but away from lines and fewer days when he's serving close to body deliberately. Here, he mixes up body serves with wide serves. Excellent body serves too, right on line and they draw a good number of errors or weak, fended returns

Becker's selected, creative attacking returning turns out to be one of the biggest differences in the match. Initially, he takes a good number of returns early from just inside court (usually missing, and not doing any damage). The 11 return-approaches are often against first serves - some planned, some he follows to net when he's hit well wide. Lendl's second serve is strong enough that regularly chip-charging it is risky, particularly given how well he passes. Finally, Boris brings out the runaround FH return at just the right moment, in the last game of the match to pick up a couple of crucial points (including a winner on match point)

In nutshell, powerful serving from both players off both serves. Boris tries a few things with the return, without too much success but it comes off in big moments. His return-approaches - particularly against first serves - are daring. Both hammer returns on the whole - Boris best ones being better, Lendl on average stronger though. Serve-Return dynamics are basically even, setting platform for...

 

[Waspsting]

Play - Baseline & Net
Baseline action is hard hitting off both sides from both players, with great ball striking. The numbers have come out good enough and I think action is even better than they'd suggest

Winners - Becker 28, Lendl 35
UEs - Becker 35, Lendl 30
FEs - Becker 12, Lendl 17
UEFI - Becker 49.7, Lendl 45.7

First, a small amount of Becker's UEs are a product of easing up a bit. He also has poor first set weighing it down. On whole, Boris plays consistently as well as hard hitting. This is the best baseline showing I've seen from him

Play is beat-down, not out-last of nature. With such hard hitting play, UEs tend to be on the hard side. Particularly Lendl's, who makes a number on the move. The court is slow enough that hitting baseline to baseline winners is a tall order and both do well to end so many points forcefully (Boris has 8 winners, Lendl 11 and both force errors from the back). Neither are loose for any significant stretch - even in first set

Again, with such hard hitting play, errors are bound to come, probably sooner rather than later. Lendl's low UEFI is a product of errors being beaten out of him (also, he hits more conservatively of placement). Becker's are too - even more so, in fact - but he's apt to go point finishing shots more often from regulation positions, particularly BH dtl and FH inside-out

Lendl hammers everything - FH and BH. He scarcely hits a slice or chip all match. He doesn't place the ball particularly wide, sticking to regulation cc angles and willing to go for dtl point enders off the FH. Doesn't show much preference for a side, but leans towards playing more FHs

In general, Lendl's at his most damaging when leading with big FH, but just as often, plays a patient, who-blinks-first game with BH cc's. Here, he's heavy off both sides... and patience on BH is limited to not going for dtl winners often

For Lendl, strategy of which side to lead with isn't obvious. In general, Boris can match him of power off the FH but tends to be much looser off the BH. In other matches, Lendl's been more successful breaking down Becker's BH (or to be more accurate, allowing Becker's BH to break down). Leaning towards leading with FHs and hammering BHs is a step-up off aggression from Lendl's norm in matches between the two

Becker hits his FH just as hard as Lendl and more attackingly. He's more willing to angle the cc wide and regularly looks for inside-out for winner or to overwhelm Lendl

Matters on FH are close. baseline-to-baseline, Boris has 4 winners and a good number of Lendl's match high 10 BH FEs would have been against the FH inside-out. Lendl has 8 winners but can't force errors out of Boris, who has just 5 (some of which are passes). UEs read Boris 15, Lendl 16

Boris defends surprisingly well. Its more counter-attack than "defend"... against balls that could easily push him back, he hits back just as hard without giving much ground. As wide hitter, he makes Lendl run more than the other way around, but there's plenty for him to do too and he's not much less able hitting hard on the move

Initially, Boris bludgeons BHs the same way Lendl does and he's more error prone. Half way into match, he starts slicing more while hammering the bulk and is better for it. Again, he's the one more likely to go for the dtl finisher, which raises his errors and on this side, Lendl is the harder hitter. Some very efficient slicing from Boris to hold the fort. He hits the most memorable winner of the match, a longline, driven slice that effectively acts as a drop shot

UEs on BH read Becker 17, Lendl 13. For the match up, that's a big win for Boris, especially since BHs make up his more casual errors at unimportant times. He's able to hang in with the hammering Lendl BH

13 of Lendl's match high 18 BH winners are passes and 1 other is a return and the reason Becker's wins only 53% net points. His passing is first rate and all credit to him for it. Even the regulation height volleys Becker gets coming in off strong approaches are hard hit enough that volleys aren't easy. 2 of Boris' 3 volleying UEs are on the hard side and he has 7 FEs - along with all those Lendl passing winners. Unreturned serve-volley points aside, Lendl by far wins the bulk of points Boris is at net for

Becker doesn't seem to have planned to serve-volley much so its not that he changed to a baseline game as a result of Lendl's power returning and passing. But having his wings clipped at net leaves him needing to match the heavyweight Lendl from the back. Great credit to Lendl for passing so well and great credit to Boris from matching Lendl from the baseline.


Match Progression
Lendl races out to 4-0 start - gaining first break with strong passes and returns (a BH inside-out return pass winner and a forcing a BHV error) and Becker missing a regulation BHV. Becker stays back in his second service game - the only time he comes in, he passed BH cc - but Lendl whacks another BH inside-out return winner anyway and Becker's BH fails him. In between, Lendl holds twice easily with strong serves

And there ends the one-sided part of the match. Lendl has to save 3 break points in a 16 point game to make it 5-0, Becker holds to love after that with 3 unreturned serves (2 aces) and then Lendl holds to take the set

Boris saves a break point in 2nd set opener where Lendl misses a not-obviously there for the shot BH dtl/inside-out winner attempt. Next service game, Becker serve-volleys off all points and game after that, half the time to hold. Lendl continues to dominate hi service game. He serves 3 aces in a row during a run of making 11 straight first serves

Boris breaks to end the set, hitting 3 winners in last 4 points - a BHV return-approaching, a FH cc return and a BHV against a hard hit Lendl pass

Boris has to save 3 break points to open the third set also, all of them by rallying to net. And breaks right after in a 10 point game - wrapping up with a big FH return to the baseline that forces an error and forcing a Lendl FHV error. Its the first voluntary approach Lendl loses in the match (he'd lost 1 other net point where he was drop shotted in to net)

Against the odds, Lendl breaks as Becker serves for the set at 5-4. A couple of not easy, but not too difficult volley misses from Boris keeps Lendl in the game. That they are among the easiest volleys he faces is testament to how well Lendl's passing in general. He seals the break with a great FH inside-in winner from regulation position - not a typical Lendl shot

And Boris again breaks to end the set, opening the game with BH dtl winner to end an open court rally, return-approaching against a first serve to bring up break point and finishing with a perfect FH dtl passing winner. And that's the second voluntary approach Lendl loses

The 4th set is the shortest of the 6-4 sets. Lendl has 2 break points middle of the set. The second is erased with a BH dtl pass winner from outside court and point after, Lendl is passed BH cc. These are the 3rd and 4th voluntary net points he loses... just 4 such lost all match, and all of them on crucial moments and due to outstanding passing from his opponent.

The match ends the way the previous 2 sets had, with a break. A powerful return starts it, a runaround FH return-approach leads to an OH winner and on second break point, a runaround FH dtl return winner finishes it

Summing up, great match and save the first four game, a very competitive one. Both players serve heftily and return hard. Both hammer groundstrokes off both sides - Lendl the harder hitter off BH in particular, Becker hitting wider, more willing to go for point ending shots and use the slice some. Both beat down and and both resist being beaten down from the back. Lendl is superb on the pass and Becker stays on baseline to slug it out where honours are even

At crunch times, Becker elevates his game a notch above virtually every time and in all areas. Given the opponent and nature of play, possibly his greatest win

Stats for Lendl's semi with Stefan Edberg - (5) Match Stats/Report - Lendl vs Edberg, Australian Open semi-final, 1991 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)
Stats for '90 final between Lendl and Edberg - (5) Match Stats/Report - Lendl vs Edberg, Australian Open final, 1990 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)
Stats for '96 final between Becker and Michael Chang - (5) Match Stats/Report - Becker vs Chang, Australian Open final, 1996 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)
Stats for '92 Australian Open third round between Becker and John McEnroe - Match Stats/Report - McEnroe vs Becker, Australian Open third round, 1992 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)

 

[I get cramps]

Were you not named best tennis analyst by vote of peers? This account is tops.

That makes two of us.

 

[Galvermegs]

Lendl never made a slam final again. But his last appearance was a great effort.. certainly no choke.

I cant think of a better way for someone to become no1 than boris on championship point. A blazing return off a solid serve. Then celebration uncontained.